Happy Wednesday, ladies! How’s the week treating you so far?
This week’s poll actually reveals something embarrassing about myself, so before you read on, here’s the question: what do you do with expired beauty products?
Do you know that almost every skincare product comes with a certain use-by-date logo? Go check your moisturiser, eye cream, etc. It should contain a picture of a jar with a semi-opened lid, with a number next to the letter M, which stands for “Months”. This means that from the moment you open that jar, bottle, tube, etc, you should discard it after a certain number of months.
Now for me, I totally suck at throwing out expired products. It’s mainly because I buy so many different kinds of products, so the original ones hardly finish before its expiry date. And after spending a bomb on them, I just don’t have the heart to chuck ‘em. I still use some of them even though it’s (and don’t you tell anyone about this) several months past its expiry date.
I know, I know, I shouldn’t be doing that. Especially when it comes to eye cream. Anything that goes near the eye should be thrown out if it’s past its expiry date. Which reminds me, it’s time to chuck the Clinique All About Eyes, even though I have a little of it left. Oh be still my heart.
Anyways, my total negligence on chucking expired products aside, a good way to know when the expiry date of a product is, stick a label onto the jar, tube, etc when you begin using it. Write down the date of opening of the product to use. This way, you’d be able to know when you should chuck it.
This goes for makeup as well. Some companies print the use-by logo on their makeup, but a lot don’t. Fabuless Beauty tell you the approximate shelf life of specific makeup products, and the way she labels her makeup. Of course, if your lippies are starting to smell funky, or your mascara weirdly goopy even before the expiry date, it’s time to use your common sense and throw those out.
What about you? Do you keep using expired beauty products? Even if it’s only a few months past its expiry date? Be honest now 
The poll closes in a month.
Thirty-something. Gemini. Happily married. Loves shopping. Has an unhealthy adoration for bags and chocolate. Uses sunscreen religiously. Hates baked beans with a vengeance. Thinks that the weekdays should be a weekend long, vice versa. Optimistic. Narcissistic. Not the average Jane.
If you have any questions or wish to contact me about anything, please feel free to email me at tine [at] beautyholicsanonymous [dot] com or click on 
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
oh no! i forgot to check their lifespan!!!
*must go home check today
but one thing is, some stuff have ridiculously short lifespan, and i usually ignore the fact…….
one of my dermalogica handcream began to smell funky, it smells like rendang now, but it’s less than 6 months i use it! damn
I will still use it as long as it doesn’t smell funky! =X
I usually don’t pay too much attention to the usage life… as long as it doesn’t look funky, I use it :p when it turns weird, I’ll chuck it. Or keep for collection purposes
Tine, I had no idea that little icon meant it’s expiry date! I quickly looked at a few products and found out my beloved Clinique DDML dies in 24 months lol! Thanks for the info, I seriously had no idea!
I usually still use them as long as they are alright. But for stuff like moisturizers, if its way past epiry, i use ‘em on my legs, elbow, that sort of thing. Waste not want not. Hate having to chuck stuff out. Big hoarder type over here…
Hello Tine! Thanks for the informative post, I never noticed/knew that my skincare products have little pictures of jars with semi-opened lids. This trend is only prevalent in western skincare products, yes? I haven’t been using my serum ever since I discovered the wonders of sleeping masks. I better be more diligent from today onwards or I’ll be using an expired product soon *teehee*
It’s a bit tricky. I don’t take the shelf life icon too seriously especially when I still can’t figure out the manufacturing date. I know it’s based on once the item is open, but I always wonder how long have they been manufactured before I got my hands on it. I prefer those that tell me specifically the expiry date.
I’m a pack rat, but a paranoid pack rat. I don’t use any expired products on my face (Paranoid), but I can’t throw them out (Pack rat). Sentimental value!
Hmmm…if it smells, out it goes. Otherwise I use anyway most of the time. Hope you and yours have a beauty full Thanksgiving!
Prettybeautiful:
Sweet Lord, it smells like rending?! Chuck it chuck it chuck it!
Jenn:
Hee hee, just like me then. Now I don’t feel so bad.
Renee:
Take it with a pinch of salt, as you’ll see in Sesame’s comment. Unless you know the manufacturing date, you can’t be 100% certain. But it should serve as a gauge to when you should chuck your products.
Nikki:
That’s a great idea. Expired stuff for the face can go on the body. Like you said, waste not want not. I’m all right with using expired products on the body, but not on the face. Too vain to let anything bad happen to it :p
Engmin:
Nope, this should apply to Asian products as well. I can’t remember if Shiseido or Kanebo has this sign. I’m sure it has. Or maybe other brands too. Anyways, it should be for non-Western brands as well.
Sesame:
I do agree with you on that one. Without the manufacturing date, it’s a bit dodgy to completely trust the sign. I would still consider it though, but with a pinch of salt, as many mainstream beauty products out there do not come with a manufacturing date.
Stephanie:
Hee hee, that sounds just like me!
Home Spa Goddess:
Agreed! Happy Thanksgiving, my dear
I am really paranoid when it comes to products’ expiry date, I chuck the products 2-3 months before the expiry date.
I don’t really bother much about the shelf life, but when it starts to smell funny or look weird, then I’d definitely dispose it off! I’ve chucked a few earlier of this year coz I’ve had some of them for oh-so-long. I’m most guilty with eyeshadows! Skincare and other makeup not so much, coz I tend to use them often, but I’m weak with eyeshadows. Buy them but never use ‘em.
Nice beauty product. I love this. Plan to purchase 1 or 2 of this.
Everyone who uses skin care products after their expiry date, here ‘s my advice: PLEASE STOP. It is better to save your skin from toxins you have no idea of, than to save your money, after all, it didn’t ALL go waste. You were given one life, one skin, an inherently beautiful one that is absolutely perfect for YOU. Don’t throw it all away to save a few dollars!
On that note, could someone PLEASE tell me what the number 06268JA0 9 on the top of a St Ives Facial scrub means???????? Is it the date of manufacture, or the Expiry date, or any date at all? There is a symbol of an opened can near the bottom, that says 12M, meaning 12M since the day you open it, I assume?
I used it a couple of days ago without checking the expiry date, I assume now it was already expired. Skin stung and felt raw afterward.
Again, chuck all your expired products in the bin. What about the doctor’s bills for what they might cause?
Sorry, posted my email address wrong. It is arreyyaar@gmail.com. Someone, please answer …….